Disclaimers: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, Marti Noxon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar Television, Kuzui Enterprises, Twentieth Century Fox Productions, and UPN. Angel belongs to Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt, Kuzui Enterprises, Twentieth Century Fox Productions, Sandollar Television, Mutant Enemy, Greenwolf Corporations, and the WB. Any copyright infringements were not intended. This story was written for entertainment and not for profit.

Spoilers: This story contains spoilers for all of Season Five of Buffy and Season Two of Angel, particularly Buffy episodes such as "Crush," "No Place Like Home," and "Blood Ties," and the Angel episodes "The Thin Dead Line" and "Dear Boy."

Timing: Takes place directly after "Crush" on Buffy and "The Thin Dead Line" on Angel.

I apologize to any Buffy crew or cast member if I offend him or her in this story. What the characters say aren't necessarily my opinions, they're just what I think that they would say. I have never been to Warner Brothers Studios or met any of the actors, so I wouldn't advise trying anything that happens in this story at home.

A key to the characters and actors of Buffy and Angel:
Sarah Michelle Gellar is Buffy Summers
James Marsters is Spike
Marc Blucas is Riley Finn
David Boreanaz is Angel
Kristine Sutherland is Joyce Summers
Michelle Trachtenberg is Dawn Summers
Charlie Webber is Ben
Clare Kramer is Glory
Nicholas Brendon is Xander Harris
Alyson Hannigan is Willow
Amber Benson is Tara
Emma Caulfield is Anya
Anthony Stewart Head is Rupert Giles
Juliet Landau is Drusilla
Julie Benz is Darla
Charisma Carpenter is Cordelia Chase
J. August Richards is Charles Gunn
Alexis Denisof is Wesley Wyndham-Pryce
Kevin Weisman is Dreg

Summary: Lara lives in a world where Buffy the Vampire Slayer is her favorite television show. For five seasons, she thinks that Buffy isn't real, but when lightning flashes in a clear sky, Lara is transported to Buffy's dimension, and Buffy Summers is transported to Lara's. Buffy must fight Darla and Drusilla, who have followed her to Lara's dimension, and Lara must help the Slayerettes face the latest evil in Sunnydale. Who is behind all of this? Who sent them there? How will they get home? Lara, the Slayerettes, Buffy, and Lara's friends try to find out before it's too late.

PROLOGUE - AS USUAL
Tuesday, February 13^th, 2001
Around 6:55 PM
Los Angeles, California

Lara walked into the room from the hall. In her right hand was a bowl of M & M's, and carried in her left hand was a box of twelve cokes. Behind her was Mira, who carried three boxes of pizza.

"We've got food," Lara announced to the people sitting in her living room in front of the television. On the couch were Kristin and Kira. Sitting on the floor on opposite sides of the coffee table were Lyra and Michelle.

After setting the pizzas down on the coffee table, Mira sat down on the couch next to Kristin. Right in front of Mira was her twin sister, Michelle. However, if Lara hadn't known their last name, she wouldn't have guessed they were twins. Mira was almost an exact copy of her mother, who was originally Latin American, while Michelle looked like their father, with blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes.

Lara had dirty-blonde hair, and Kristin had auburn hair like Alyson Hannigan and green eyes. Lyra, Mira, and Kira were a different matter, however. The only thing they had in common as far as looks were concerned was their hair. Kira's great-grandparents had been Japanese, so Kira had almond-shaped eyes and black hair. Lyra had very dark-brown hair that almost matched Kira's and Mira's, and she always had a tan as dark as the latter's, but she had the bluest eyes Lara had ever seen. Nevertheless, Mira, Kira, and Lyra were often teased for their rhyming names and dubbed the 'triplets' of the group.

Several of the people gathered there reached for pieces of pizza, cokes, or M & M's. After Lara got some food, she plopped down on the floor next to Michelle. All of them had graduated from high school only a few months ago, and they were all fans of the show that was about to come on.

"I can't believe Marc Blucas isn't on Buffy anymore," Lyra said as she reached for a piece of pizza and a coke.

Kristin swallowed some pizza and said, "I can. I'm glad to see him leave. Riley was just acting like a big baby."

"Oh, come on, Kristin," Lyra protested. "How could you not like Riley? I mean, he's the best-looking guy they have on the show. After David Boreanaz, of course."

"David? Yeah, his character, Angel, always looks good in black," Michelle agreed.

"Can't disagree with you there, sis," Mira said as she reached for another slice.

"Neither can I," Lara said.

"Quiet," Kira ordered, "it's about to start."

Everyone became silent except for sounds of chewing as they watched the TV, all eyes glued intently on the screen.

The 'tonight's WB presentation is meant for our teen and adult audience' warning filled the screen. When it ended, clips of scenes from previous episodes of Buffy came on.

"Hey, Lara, what did tvguide.com say that this episode would be about?" Mira asked.

Out of all of them, Lara, Michelle, and Lyra were probably the biggest fans of Buffy and Angel. Lara spent most of her free time on the Internet. She visited other Buffy fan pages or worked on her own, or she went to a Buffy posting board she frequented. Michelle didn't go to any posting boards, but she wrote Buffy fan fiction and had her own archive that hosted her fic and other authors' fiction.

Lara liked to go to TV Guide's web site to find out what would be on Buffy for the next two weeks. Michelle didn't do this because she preferred to watch the commercial previews and be surprised, since the commercials revealed fewer details than the TV Guide summaries.

Lara smiled at Mira. "Sorry, Mira, but some of us want to be surprised."

"Could you tell us the name of the episode, at least?" Kristin asked.

"Yeah, it's 'Crush,' and the Angel episode is 'The Thin Dead Line.'"

"Is the Buffy episode about Spike?" Lyra asked, excited and hopeful. "His crush on Buffy is so funny. I don't want him and Buffy to get together, though. I'd rather have him for myself, because he is fine."

"You think half of the Buffy and Angel actors are fine," Mira said.

"Well, they are!"

"Guys, the actual show started several minutes ago," Kira informed them.

"Oh. Oops," Lyra said.

They focused their attention on the screen again. When the credits rolled, Kira asked, "You are recording this, right, Lara?"

"Yep," Lara said. She motioned to the VCR, whose red recording light could be seen in the small computer screen.

"Oh. That's good," Lyra said, relieved. "Can I borrow that tape, Lara? Could I borrow a few others, too? Oh, and a few of your Buffy books."

Lara and Michelle shared a smile before looking over at the others, who were also amused. Lara and Michelle were best friends, and they were both thinking the same thing. While they liked to spend their time doing Buffy-related things on the Internet, Lyra liked to spend her time watching the episodes she liked at least five times every week. Lara also had a larger collection of Buffy novels than she did, so Lyra always borrowed them to read whenever she wasn't near a VCR. Lara was determined to get that girl in front of a computer to write a few transcripts, because Lyra could do that from memory easily.

They watched the rest of the episode and then watched Angel. Lara looked around at each of her friends. She was lucky to have them. She knew from the posting boards that a lot of fans didn't have friends that shared their love for Buffy and Angel.

After Angel was over, they all just hung out for an hour or so, talking about the show or other things. Around ten thirty, Lara's friends began to leave. She got the books and tapes for Lyra before she started showing everyone out the door.

As she headed back to the living room to clean up the mess, she noticed that Lyra left behind the books and tapes. Oh, well, she thought. I'll just bring them to her apartment after work and classes tomorrow.

The living room phone rang. Lara picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Lara," Jake, her boyfriend, answered. "How was Buffy?"

"Kind-of funny, actually," Lara said. "Buffy finds out about the crush Spike has on her. It was a good episode, although I didn't really like the part where Spike ties her up."

"But you're planning on watching it again anyway," he teased.

Lara smiled, even though she knew Jake couldn't see it. "Yeah, I am."

"Well, Leon just got here and Kyle's already here. I'll tell them that Lyra and Mira are headed over. I think they're planning on going to the party at the Delta Kappa Phi house. Want to go?"

"No, I'd rather not, sorry. I'm tired. How's the site going?"

"Which one? My X-Files site or my legal-advice-to-use-against-the-Fox-lawyers site?"

"Both."

"Well, the latter's doing great. About a hundred people became members this month."

"That's great. Look, I've gotta get to bed if I want to be fully awake tomorrow at classes and work."

"Okay, honey. Goodnight," Jake said.

"Goodnight."

She took a quick shower before climbing into bed, her thoughts still on the Buffy and Angel episodes that they'd watched that night. The Buffy episode had been about Spike, like Lyra had hoped. Everyone was glad that Spike and Buffy weren't getting together.

She thought about her relationship with Jake. She certainly had more luck with men than Buffy ever has. Maybe she should start a petition to Joss to give Buffy some happiness that doesn't end in heartbreak.

She looked over at the clock. It was eleven thirty. Lara groaned. She had only seven hours to sleep before she had to get up again and go to work, then in the afternoon she had classes at the university.

Thankfully not long afterwards, she drifted off to sleep.

Buffy yawned into her hand, bored out of her mind. She sat on the top of a crypt in Crestfield Cemetery. She hadn't seen a vampire all night, and doubted any would come.

Her mind drifted to the night before, when Spike had chained her and Drusilla up in the sewers beneath his crypt. Whatever soft spots Buffy had for Spike because he was harmless with the chip still in his head vanished that night.

Now it was Valentine's Day. Since she had no date, Buffy went on patrol hoping for a little action so she could cool down some nerves, but nothing had shown up. She jumped down to the ground and started heading toward the cemetery gate. She didn't make three paces, however, before she heard the voice she was getting tired of hearing every microsecond that passed.

"Buffy, wait up!" Spike called from not far behind her.

Buffy paused, then sighed and continued moving.

Spike didn't take the hint, however. He ran up to her side and slowed down to her pace. "Hello, Buffy," he said. "Look, I just want to apologize for the other night. I-"

Buffy stopped and glared at him. "Spike, I told you to skip town, so why are you still here?"

"You can't kick me out of Sunnydale. It's not like you're the Mayor and you're planning on becoming this big, scary demon. You don't own Sunnydale, Buffy, so I'm staying. I'm in your life and there's nothing you can do about it."

His smugness was really pissing her off. "Stay away from my friends, my family, and me. You're not welcome among us anymore."

With that, she kept walking.

Spike kept pace with her. "Oh, come on, Buffy, you know you don't really want me to leave. Just face it, you can't deny that there's something between us."

Buffy stopped again and brought out her stake. "The only thing between you and me is my stake if you don't leave right now."

They stared at each other for several seconds until Spike backed down. "See you around, then."

"No, you won't," Buffy called after him.

He didn't say anything, but headed back the way he'd come.

As soon as he was out of sight, she sighed again and continued to walk home.

Wesley and Gunn looked up when Cordelia entered the hospital room. "Hello, Cordelia," Wesley greeted her from his hospital bed. They'd arrived at the hospital only a few hours ago after a zombie police officer shot Wesley. Thankfully, they'd gotten him to the hospital in time and he would be all right.

Cordelia smiled at him and handed a cup of coffee to Gunn. Then she walked over to Wesley and tousled his hair before sitting down in a chair. She glanced back out the window. Instantly, her smile disappeared and she sighed heavily.

"What's wrong?" Gunn asked.

"That SOB…he only cares if we almost die. Then he decides to make an appearance after, like, forever."

"Angel? He was here?" Wesley asked as he and Gunn looked out the window into the hospital corridor. They didn't see the vampire anywhere.

"Yeah, I sent him away," Cordelia said.

"Good," Gunn said. "I don't think I could stand being around that guy anymore."

"Me, neither," Cordelia agreed.

Angel walked out of the hospital and stepped onto the sidewalk. He looked back up at the third floor and sighed. He knew they didn't like what he was doing, but he knew that Wolfram and Hart had to be stopped. He wished they did understand, so that he'd have their support. Maybe after he killed Darla and Drusilla and put Wolfram and Hart out of commission he'd ask for their forgiveness.

The breeze shifted, bringing smells from farther down the street to his nose. One of those smells, however, was of a vampire.

Angel sniffed and determined that it was coming from the two figures walking out of the train station. While the door was open, the wind picked up the smell of dead bodies from inside.

Angel walked toward the two figures. Their backs were to him, and it was too dark to see them very well, so he wasn't sure who they were.

The figures sensed him and turned around. A car passed, and its headlights lit up their faces for a few seconds, but those seconds were enough.

It was Drusilla and Darla.

"Angel," Drusilla said, slightly afraid. Neither of the female vampires had forgotten what he'd done the last time they saw each other - he set them on fire. Then she smiled and looked up at the hospital building. "The dark man just went to see the sick and dying," she cooed insanely. "To see his friends, up there amongst people who make screams when you ruin their only chances of survival. The sound is so lovely. Would you care to dance, my Angel?"

"Quiet, Dru," Darla told the vampiress sharply. "Hello, Angel."

Angel took out a stake but didn't say anything.

Dru laughed. "Angelus wants to play. Can we, grandmother?"

Darla smiled. "That sounds great."

"What were you doing in the train station?" Angel asked sternly.

Drusilla wagged her finger. "Naughty, naughty. It's not nice to speak that way."

Darla rolled her eyes. She was about to tell Dru to shut up again when she heard thunder. The sound was followed by the noise of something striking against a building across the street.

All three vampires turned to look as the building's front wall began to crumble. Cars swerved to avoid the falling debris, and pedestrians screamed and ran out of their way.

"I smell fear," Drusilla said, "but I feel magic all around, come to sweep us away." As if to punctuate her words, another bolt of lightning like the one that hit the building lit the sky.

It was possible to tell how many miles away that a lightning bolt was by counting how many seconds came between the lightning and the thunder. However, the thunder accompanied this lightning bolt at the same time, which meant the lightning was just as close as the one that hit the building.

Angel felt the charged air and knew Dru was right. He knew this was not ordinary lightning.

"Angel? Grandmother?" Dru asked, her voice sounding frightened. Angel turned back toward his adversaries. Darla had the same look on her face, and both were staring at themselves.

Angel could see what they were staring at. Both female vampires were fading. He could see through Darla's arms and Drusilla's legs. It was like they were being erased.

Suddenly, a light surrounded both vampires. They let out screams before the light completely surrounded them, cutting them off.

When the light faded, Angel looked back at the spot. Darla and Drusilla were gone.

Buffy walked out of the graveyard and started to walk to the Bronze. A flash of light out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, however. She whirled toward the sight, ready for anything.

She turned in time to see a tree being split apart by a bolt of lightning. Half of the tree began to fall toward the street. Unfortunately, a woman walking her dog happened to be in its way.

"Shit," Buffy said before she raced across the street.

In shock, the woman stared up at the approaching tree trunk while her dog barked at it. At the same time it tugged on its leash, trying to coax the woman to move, but the woman was frozen.

Buffy pushed the woman aside, knocking them both to the ground and out of the tree's path. The dog started to yip as he barely got out of their way and the tree's way.

The tree trunk colliding with the ground behind them. It was so close that Buffy could feel a rush of air between it and her legs.

They began to sit up. "Are you all right?" Buffy asked.

The woman began to calm down. "Yes," she said. "Yes, thank you-" She looked at Buffy and stared again.

Confused, Buffy looked down at her self. She held her hands up and almost fell back against the trunk. She could literally see through her hands.

"What the hell?" she asked. Then a light began to surround her. The dog started barking again and the woman began to scream.

Buffy stared at the light as it engulfed her. Then everything went black.

Lara glanced at her watch when she stopped at a red light. She'd just gotten out of work and had only two hours to prepare for the Valentine's Day dinner Kyle was treating her to. Before she could go home, however, she had to stop at Lyra's and Kristin's apartment to drop off the videos. Lyra was probably getting ready for her date with Leon and Kristin was probably getting ready for her date with whoever she'd managed to hook up with that evening. Lara knew Lyra would probably want the videos for watching with Leon later. Well, they'd watch it until they started doing more private things, that is.

She saw lightning out of the corner of her eye. Lara turned and saw it flash across the sky. It was followed a few seconds later by thunder. That's weird, she thought. How can there be lightning and thunder when there are no rain clouds?

It was in the middle of sunset, and the lightning looked out of place against the pink and orange hues the sun painted on the clouds.

The car behind her honked, and Lara realized the light was green. She turned her car onto another street. Only one or two streets away was the apartment complex Lyra and Kristin lived in.

Suddenly, another bolt of lightning struck at the same time the thunder split the air. The lightning hit a tree in a yard on the side of the road. The tree split and slammed onto the road in front of her.

Lara swerved her car to avoid colliding with the massive trunk.

As she did, a light surrounded the car. Lara was reminded of all those alien abductions that she always saw when she watched The X-Files with Kyle. "What the hell?" she asked.

Then the light surrounded her.

Part One

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